STYLED FAMILY SESSIONS

WHY WE LOVE TO HELP YOU FIND THE PERFECT WARDROBE

If you have worked with me in the past or if you know me personally, you know that one of my favorite things in the world is clothing. My family raids my closet every time they are at my house and we joke that it's like a shopping experience when they come over. My clients get to share in this same luxury my sisters and mom have because they too get to pick outfits out of my closet and wear them for their sessions.

Styling sessions has become one of the most beloved parts of the experience I provide my clients. We will sometimes spend days and stay up until the wee hours of the night picking out what everyone is going to wear. I do this not because I want to control every session but I want every session to be the very best for YOU. I want you to have clothes that are comfortable, fit your body type, and also clothing that flows together and will photograph well. If clients choose me to be their photographer, it's because they like my style and part of my style and brand includes your wardrobe.

Your wardrobe is a key part to your photography experience, no matter who you choose as your photographer! You should choose outfits that coordinate, go with your location, are comfortable, and go with your photographers style. Which is why we dedicate time to this part of our process. We will create style boards for you, send you links to outfits you can buy, or you can choose an outfit straight from our "Bella Wardrobe." We have pre-selected clothing for women and children and men of all ages to use for their sessions. (Don't worry, each item is washed thoroughly before and after it is used at a session). We also encourage you to wear what you already have! Sometimes this is more sentimental and can produce an emotional impact. For example, one of my moms is wearing the same beautiful dress she wore to her bridal shower at her family session. She had it taken in so it would fit her again but it is so meaningful to her. If that is the centerpiece, then we work the rest of the outfits around that one special piece of clothing. Don't worry, we have plenty of options for you to have the perfect wardrobe for your photography session!

We have recently added a new tool to our arsenal of wardrobe styling tricks and tips. We absolutely love Style & Select and highly recommend it to our fellow photographers. (Thank you Amandamarie Gillen Photography for recommending this to us!) This has made it easier for our clients to tell us the colors they prefer, the style they prefer, and to create the perfect wardrobe. They can even give us a budget for their family wardrobe and we can pick items based on the total cost. I have already used this tool to start planning my own outfits for our family sessions.

All of our clients will be sent an email with our style guides for their family session. Matching pants and shirts are out, khakis and white tops are out, everyone wearing plaid is out. We want to help you find current styles that will fit your family's personality and help relieve some stress. You still get to choose your wardrobe and have fun shopping but now you have a little help in the process.

So you need a family photographer? You don't want your every day traditional images and portraits though, you want something more intimate and personal. Something that shows your relationship with your littles or the intimacy and passion between you and your hubby. If you are looking for an experience that captures the very essence of who you are as a mother, wife, daughter, or friend, then you have come to the right place.

I use to take portraits. I use to pose everyone in uncomfortable positions and ask for a smile and count to 3 before I hit the shutter. I use to get good portraits, good images of everyone looking at the camera, smiling, and looking good but it was just not cutting it for me. I saw these families and couples as real people, with real stories, and real feelings. I heard their stories, I saw their interactions and I knew that my images were missing something that I so desired them to have. I wanted them to be filled with joy, tears, laughter, snuggles, movement, and intimacy. So I started researching and following photographers that brought this kind of life into their images and I found such joy getting to experience these moments that other photographers had captured for their clients. They weren't posed. They weren't stiff. They were free. They were intimate. This is what I wanted to do for my clients. Create something that moved them to feel something every time they saw their images hanging on their walls.

This was the path I wanted to take and I am so happy that I did!!! My images are filled with life. They are filled with love and emotion. I have noticed that allowing my families/couples to just be themselves, they feel a lot more comfortable during the session. I have had some of the best compliments from clients and even other photographers I have worked with, expressing how comfortable and fun their experience was! That's my goal with every session. It's not that you would be nervous or dread having your pictures taken. Even men who hate having their pictures done have left their session with a smile on their face, later admitting to their wife that they actually really enjoyed that!! A photographic experience shouldn't be about "perfection". It should be about capturing your family as they are. There's a difference between a portrait session and a lifestyle session. We have made the transition from portrait photography into lifestyle photography and we are excited to take this journey with our clients!

We love our new adventures. We love creating these special moments and memories with you. Dancing in the sunshine, whispering sweet nothings in your spouse's ear, cuddling your little darling when she is tired or sad. These moments matter. These moments are a part of your story. We want to be able to tell that story and share it with your friends and family. If this is something you have been wanting in your family or wedding portraits, then we need to talk!!! I am always up for new adventures and intimate journeys. I travel all over the US and I am available to come right to your home or your favorite vacation spot! Let's go explore together. Let's go create something magical and intimate together. <3

I had so much fun photographing Morgan & Harper and watching them interact as they had their hot chocolate ands'mores. It's such a beautiful thing to capture the way a daughter looks at her mother and to see the beautiful exchange of love, admiration, and grace between a mother and her child. Christmas pictures don't just have to be filled with snow and trees and Santa Clause. I am a strong believer that Christmas is about family, interaction, love and JOY. This Christmas Season I have created an atmosphere to foster these very things for our Christmas Sessions.

You can choose from 2 different locations.

Backwoods Campfire with dazzling lights or Cozy Backyard Campfire with a cute berry bush for some extra fun (As Seen Below).